Danger – Piere Strydom rides the Spectrum filly Amazing Grace
for Alec Laird
It may not be the quality fare that we have become accustomed to in recent weeks, but an unbeaten Australian-bred daughter of Holy Roman Emperor squares up to a game grey Daylami filly in one of the highlights of Tuesday evening’s nine-race Turffontein programme .
The rather middle of the road contest should nevertheless still provide for competitive racing and pleasing entertainment under the lights.
Fair Ability
Game – the tough 4yo Daylami filly Kalami will be running on late in Tuesday evening’s Turffontein sprint
The final leg of what looks like a rather tough Jackpot bet is a Fillies and Mares Divided Handicap run over 1160m.
While there is a mixture of speed and some fair ability in evidence, Robbie Sage’s consistent grey Kalami could come up trumps over a distance generally regarded as short of her best. The race is likely to be run at a frenetic pace, which will mean that Kalami should be running at the leaders late on.
The undefeated Lyric’s Wonder is probably Kalami’s biggest danger. The exciting daughter of Holy Roman Emperor will probably need an outing, as she has not seen action for eleven months.
A winner from 1200m to 1400m, Coolmore stallion Holy Roman Emperor is Timeform’s highest rated 2yo ever by Danehill and he has made quite a local impact from very few runners. Lyric’s Wonder, out of a Woodman mare, and is unbeaten in her two sprints.
She takes a step up here in the process of attempting to retain her impeccable record.
Late
Kalami is a hard-knocking filly who has won 2 of her 14 starts, and was only caught late and narrowly beaten by KZN visitor Bambina Stripes in an exciting finish to the SA Fillies Classic at the end of March.
She showed tremendous resolve last time out when sneaking through down the rail to catch and beat the powerful front-running Louvre in a 1400m Conditions Plate.
Louvre goes some way to adding sparkle to that win as she had previously run a cracker in the Starling Stakes, when only going down 2,25 lengths to Festival Of Fire – when conceding 8kgs.
This is a sprint as opposed to the 1800m of the Fillies Classic and the 1400m of her last start, but Kalami is a big-hearted tryer of note, and must be considered a serious runner – even under 63kgs.
She will be ridden by underrated heavyweight jockey, Gunter Wrogemann.
Top Record
Wallace Tolmay’s Pacific Destiny used to race in the red and yellow silks of her breeder, the late Gunter Reimer.
She has the best race record in this field with 6 wins from her 16 starts, and comes off an impressive win in an MR 87 Handicap over 1200m at Turffontein in mid-October. She had fluffed her lines badly on the sand at her previous start in the Emerald Fillies Sprint.
She is a course and distance winner who reeled off three wins on the trot at the beginning of this year.
Menno Malherbe rides the Miesque’s Approval 4yo Cosmogenic, who has an admirable record of two wins and two seconds from her four starts. It must be of concern that Cosmogenic has not run in over 6 months, and her fitness will have to be taken on trust.
She beat Amazing Grace at her last start, and Piere Strydom now jumps aboard that one again.
Amazing Grace meets Cosmogenic on a kilo better terms than when being walloped 3,25 lengths by her in a Vaal 1200m.
Sweet Sound
Amazing Grace has won 2 of her 14 starts and ran a cracker of a third in a mixed company MR 86 Handicap over 1200m at the Vaal in June. That was a fair run if we glance over some of the names behind her.
These include Legal Action, who was an unlucky loser of the sensational Pomodoro return sprint last Tuesday evening. He finished ahead of the top-class Deliver The Power.
Dominic Zaki’s Altair showed a sudden form return at her last outing, when she stayed on for third and 1,55 lengths behind the speedy Mary’s Pride. While her cause will be aided by the 4kg claim of her apprentice rider, she is just too inconsistent to be taken too seriously.
Errico Verdonese’ The Intervention is an interesting runner.
The daughter of Toreador had two seconds and an 8,50 length maiden win to her credit in three starts, before going unplaced in the Starling Stakes.
That race may have come too soon for her and she may be a different proposition over the sprint track.
The Intervention may be held by Kalami’s stablemate, Greyish, who won her maiden at her second start, when accounting for the Verdonese filly The Intervention by 3,50 lengths over the 1160m at Turffontein.
She now receives a half kilo from that one. Greyish did not show at her next start and was withdrawn from the Starling Stakes for reasons of her blood picture.
Fast
A speedy little daughter of Var, the Brett Webber-trained Lady Beatrix has not seen the winner’s enclosure since her win over the course and distance in May 2011.
Her connections won’t be complaining, as she has recorded seven second places in the ensuing time and invariably earns. She steps up in class after a distant third behind La Volta last time in an MR 76 Handicap over the Vaal 1000m.
Louis Goosen’s Flying Cloud shed her maiden over the Turffontein 1160m towards the end of the 2010/11 season. She has her second run after a rest and has shown nothing since that early win.
Tarry also sends out the Captain Al filly Schooner, who returns from a nine month rest. She looked very promising with an emphatic maiden win at her second start. She may need a few runs to get her back to her better form and the betting may be the best guide.
Roy Magner’s Reine D’ Ivoire has won 3 of her 18 starts, but should find this difficult and has shown little enthusiasm at her recent starts.
Weighty
There is little doubt that Kalami will be outpaced by some serious early speed in this event.
That said, positions only count when they pass the post and the wily Gunter Wrogemann will be riding her to conserve her weighty burden and then let her run late.
If not too far out of her ground, a fit Kalami could prove her versatility and win this event.
Lyric’s Wonder should prove best of the rest, while Cosmogenic and Amazing Grace could challenge for top honours.
